Sahara Group as we know is an organization established on the foundation of creativity, innovation amongst valiant values. With a huge influence and a desire to inspire the youth we desired platform where the youth can be inspired to create and follow this path daring the impossible and achieving results that would benefit/ impact the nation and create wealth in a sustainable way.

The 2nd Cohort of the Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) and the Governance Unusual Programme to support social innovators in the generation of solutions which will increase access to clean energy and promote sustainable environments. This is all aimed at accelerating attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner that results in measurable social impact and inspires a good governance paradigm shift. The Fellowship is a leadership quest that starts from changing people’s mindset and birthing a new creed that ultimately stamps out the dominance of “business as usual” standards across the globe. The design of the project requires Fellows of the Impact Fund to participate in the Governance Unusual Programme with exposure to leadership training for social impact entrepreneurs targeting maximum impact and scalability.

The Programme is a strategic partnership between Sahara Foundation, LEAP Africa and Impact Investors Foundation leveraging on strengths of the various partners.

• SIF is open to social enterprises and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Nigeria, Cote d‘Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
• Organizations must submit social solutions within the Foundation’s key focus areas of Clean and Affordable Energy and Sustainable Environment both with an Entrepreneurship focus.
• Enterprises or businesses must be registered with their relevant regulatory and government agencies as funding will not be given for that purpose or to individuals in their personal capacity.
• Organization must have been in existence for at least one year.
• All submitted social solutions must be at the growth stage, must have been implemented and have direct beneficiaries. Evidence of claim through pictures, news releases, etc. must be documented and shared during the application.
• Only innovative solutions with measurable community impact will be considered. Submissions must show evidence or claim through provision of web links and other online presence.
• Innovations must show sustainability and scalability.

The project is open to young Africans (male and female) between the ages of 18 and 40.

The application portal is open till 11:59 pm (WAT), Friday, 27th May, 2022

Sahara Group through its corporate responsibility vehicle, Sahara Foundation has pledged to continually impact youth across the continent through the extrapreneurship framework. Hence, the Foundation is committed to providing as many credible and sustainable platforms/ initiatives to achieve this goal.

Yes, Sahara Group would be giving out grants and other in-kind support to fellow selected for the programme. Outstanding fellows to win $5,000 each as seed funding at the end of the fellowship year.

A novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than existing solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than to private individuals. The innovation may be through various expressions- a process (i.e. using a new approach), a product, or a service.

The requirements for a social innovation are that your solution adopts a new approach than was existing, is practical and effective in solving the problem, meets a social need, and empowers (i.e. enhances society’s capacity to act collectively).

No. Your innovation does not have to be a product. It may also be a process innovation (using a new approach) or a service.

We encourage that technology is embedded in some shape or form to enhance/ amplify operational activities.